The River-to-River Trail Society announces its schedule of free guided hikes in and about the Shawnee National Forest for Spring, 2020. All hikes are open to the public free of charge. No reservations are required, except for the April 26 hike in Lusk Creek Wilderness, for which pre-registration is required, in order to permit compliance with rules of the USDA Forest Service. These hikes are of at least moderate difficulty, and are intended for people in good health who have done some hiking. Boots or sturdy shoes and a walking stick are recommended for all hikes. Hikers should bring their own water and a snack. No dogs, please.

A few hikes require extra comment. The hike on March 28 will cover a closed portion of Snake Road during snake migration season. Hikers can expect to observe snakes on the roadway. The hike on April 18 will be a wildflower hike, led by Chris Benda, a well known botanist and expert on the plant life of southern Illinois. Finally, in addition to its regular schedule of Saturday hikes, this year the Society will offer two short Sunday afternoon hikes to local points of interest, on March 22 and April 25.

For those that are interested, you can download a PDF version of the schedule to print out by clicking on this link:

March:
07 (Saturday):
Hike: High Knob to Resthaven (Gallatin County).
Leader: Todd Carr
Meet: High Knob Parking Lot
Time: 10:00 a.m.

14 (Saturday):
Hike: Williams Hill to Beech Hollow (Pope/Saline Counties)
Leader: Brian DeNeal
Meet: Rudement Church, Route 34, Rudement, Illinois
Time: 10:00 a.m.

21 (Saturday):
Hike: Cedar Creek Waterfalls (Johnson County)
Leader: Bill Gilmour
Meet: New Simpson-Tunnel Hill School, Route 45 between Ozark and Vienna, Illinois
Time: 10:00 a.m.

22 (Sunday):
Hike: The Rock House (Pope County)
Leaders: Gillum Ferguson and Vicki Ferguson
Meet: Shawnee Mart, Route 145, Eddyville, Illinois
Time: 2:00 p.m.

28 (Saturday):
Hike: Snake Road (Union County)
Leader: Shawn Gossman
Meet: North Trailhead
Time: 10:30 a.m.

April:
04 (Saturday):
Hike: Jackson Hole (Pope County)
Leader: Fred Scott
Meet: Shawnee Mart, Route 145, Eddyville, Illinois
Time: 10:00 a.m.

11 (Saturday):
Hike: Pyramid State Park (Perry County)
Leader: Steve Ryder
Meet: Main parking lot, near park office
Time: 10:30 a.m.

18 (Saturday):
Hike: Wildflower Hike – Panther Den (Union County)
Leader: Chris Benda
Meet: Goreville City Park, 313 West Main Street (Goreville Road), Goreville, Illinois
Time: 10:00 a.m.

25 (Saturday):
Hike: Lusk Creek Wilderness (Pope County)
Leaders: Marcus Owens and Steve Mitchell
Meet: To register, call (618) 534-8139
Time: 10:00 a.m.

26 (Sunday):
Hike: Little Grand Canyon (Jackson County)
Leaders: Gillum Ferguson and Vicki Ferguson
Meet: Parking lot, Little Grand Canyon
Time: 2:00 p.m.

May:
02 (Saturday):
Hike: Red Cedar Trail, Giant City State Park (Jackson/Union Counties)
Leader: Bob Mulcahy
Meet: Giant City State Park Visitor Center, 235 Giant City Road, Makanda, Illinois
Time: 10:00 a.m.

June:
06 (Saturday): National Trails Day – Annual Meeting. Details to be announced.

The River-to-River Trail Society is an Illinois not-for-profit corporation founded in 1993 by John O’Dell to promote completion of the River-to-River Trail, which now runs 157 miles through the Shawnee National Forest between Elizabethtown on the Ohio River and Grand Tower on the Mississippi River. The Society engages in trail maintenance and advocacy, and it offers free guided hikes to members and the public during the spring and fall hiking seasons. In addition, the Society has recently
completed a Trail Guide to the entire River-to-River Trail, which can be downloaded for free from the Society’s website: rivertorivertrail.net.